Indonesia, a country of more than 18,000 thousand islands, located on the ring of fire and with the biggest Muslim population in the world, is a real paradise! I would say it's even possible to travel here for 2 years without getting bored. Here you jump to the next island and you have a different culture, language & cuisine and that without changing the country. Most tourists tend to visit only Bali, let's hold a moment of silence for those poor travelers. Yes, Bali is great and you can have a good time there, but it's definitely not the paradise Instagram is trying to tell you. Honestly, I would even go so far as to say that I have been to 100 islands in my life that were nicer than Bali.
What I liked the most about Bali: I have finally met my family again after nearly a year of separation! They came to visit me in Bali and Lombok and we had a great time exploring those 2 islands. When it comes to beaches I would prefer Lombok over Bali. But Bali has its own special vibe for itself which shouldn't be missed! Gili Islands are worth a visit as well.
After a month on Bali and Lombok, I took a flight to Surabaya and started to travel Java from east to west. I have visited the breathtaking volcano Mount Bromo, explored the cities of Malang, Surakarta & Bandung, had great day trips from there on rented motorbikes and spent a week in the megacity Jakarta. In Solo I had my favorite Couchsurfing experience so far and met my now good friend Windy (Selamat pagi putri Indonesia!). I also started to learn Bahasa Indonesia here (the main reason for that is Malaysia, sorry Indonesia).
Unfortunately, I wasn't able to extend my 60-day tourist visa at the end so I made plans to come back to visit Sumatra and Sulawesi on my next visit. Selamat tinggal!
5 Highlights:
- Bandung, my favorite big city on Java
- Snow-white beaches in the South of Lombok
- Mount Bromo, Java
- Trips on motorbikes with my parents :D
- Mount Batur, Northern Bali
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| I visited 7 islands of the world's biggest archipelago |
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| Arrival in Bali |
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| Finally meeting my dad |
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| My parents in a restaurant in Bali |
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| Amazing sunsets in Western Lombok |
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| Road trip on Lombok |
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| Visiting tiny islands around Lombok |
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| Black sand beaches in Lombok |
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| Local boat to Gili Air |
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| Sunset on Gili Air |
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| White sand beaches in Lombok's South |
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| Scooter trip on Bali with my dad |
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| Rice terraces on Bali |
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| Its getting colder in Bali's North |
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| Gunung Kawi Temple, Bali |
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| Around Ubud, Bali |
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| Cemoro Lawang, Java |
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| Hiking on a volcano |
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| On top of Bromo |
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| Sea of sand at Bromo |
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| Kampung Warna Warni, Malang |
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| An entire slum area was painted here |
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| Delicious chicken feet |
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| View from the train, Java |
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| National Museum, Jakarta |
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| Huuuge Jakarta |
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| With Windy and a family in Solo |
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| Boat trip during Chinese New Year, Solo |
